


its always been you

by skyofmoonlight



Category: Kpop - Fandom, NCT (Band)
Genre: 'Straight' Mark, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 11:41:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16085414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyofmoonlight/pseuds/skyofmoonlight
Summary: in which 'straight' Mark realises maybe he's not as straight as he thought he was, after his childhood best friend Hyuck moves back to town, looking more beautiful than ever before.





	its always been you

**Groupchat: Jeno is lame**

**Donghyuck** **  
** who's excited to see me tomorrow? :P

 **Jaemin** **  
** mE bitch are u kidding?

 **Renjun** **  
** i guess

 **Jeno** **  
** of course uwu

 **Donghyuck** **  
** i'm kinda nervous but just glad i get to finally meet you all dkfkdkjkfd

 **Jaemin** **  
** shut up ur making me soft

 **Jeno** **  
** make sure u let us know when you're at the front of school tomorrow!! at least we have class together first, but we still have to give you a little tour

 **Jaemin** **  
** yes!! make sure ur on time hyuckie <3

 **Renjun** **  
** aaahhh i can't wait to give u the biggest hug

 **Donghyuck** **  
** omg i love you all :') school is about to be lit

 

***

Hyuck wakes up at about 7am, already excited for the day ahead. He couldn’t wait to see his best friends Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun, so he quickly got ready for school. A little while later he was walking up to the school gates when he saw three boys huddled together. “HYUCKIE” one of them yelled out, which he now recognised to be Jaemin. All of a sudden, he was ambushed by three boys who wrapped their arms tightly around him.   
  
“Guys!!! I’m so happy to finally meet you oh my god.” Hyuck exclaimed, grinning widely at them as they reluctantly let him go.   
  
“We’re so happy to finally meet you too Hyuck!” Renjun exclaimed, eyes shining.   
  
“As much as we’d rather stand here and hug though, I think we should head off to class now guys.” Jeno stated, before turning and leading them all towards the school building.   
  
“Now, we have maths first which should be fine, and you’ll be with Nana for all your classes till lunch, Hyuck, so just stick with him!” Hyuck nodded at Jeno, as they entered their maths class and Donghyuck was introduced to the class. Donghyuck was understandably nervous during his introduction to his class, but he hoped that no one could tell, as he wanted to keep up his confident facade.

Between classes, Donghyuck was told he had to go to the office to collect forms. Since he was currently with Jaemin only, he told him where he had to go and to tell the others. Hyuck declined Jaemin’s offer of showing him to the office, as he felt he had to be independent at some point.

On the other hand, Mark was also told that he had to go sign something at the office during lunch, so he quickly texted his best friend Lucas to let him know.  
  
***  
  
The bell rang signalling lunch, as Donghyuck collected his things and bid goodbye to Jaemin, his thoughts randomly moved to questioning where Mark was now and how he was. He couldn't deny he still cared somewhat about him, but maybe in just a platonic way now. Heading in the direction he thought was correct, Donghyuck tried to get his thoughts off of Mark. "Here are the forms you need, all we need is for you to get your parents to consent to this and then bring these back!" The office lady said, smiling warmly at him. He nodded and thanked her, turning around and walking out of the office. Donghyuck started to read the forms as he rounded the corner, which unfortunately lead him to running straight into someone. The papers fell all over the floor, and both him and the person he ran into bent down to pick them up. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?” the stranger said, as Hyuck looked up and made eye contact with the person. The ‘stranger’s’ smile faltered as he recognised who it was. “D-donghyuck?” “Mark?” they both said at the same time, surprise clearly evident in their facial expressions. They straightened up, an awkward silence following before Mark decided to break it. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“My family decided to move back, so uh, here I am! I would’ve told you but I didn’t know how to get in contact with you” Hyuck said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.   
  
“Oh. Yeah um that’s fine, and welcome back I guess!” Donghyuck smiled warmly at this, and if Mark had’ve been drinking something, he would’ve choked. Hyuck had always been fairly good looking, but these past few years had certainly done him well, and Mark was overwhelmed by his beauty. They stood there staring at each other for what felt like hours until mark awkwardly coughed. “I should get going now, but we should catch up Hyuckie.” Mark suggested, and Hyuck nodded and bid goodbye, before continuing in the direction of the lunchroom. Mark stood still for a few seconds after Donghyuck left, confused at the fact that he just  _literally_ ran into Donghyuck, and that he had a funny feeling in his stomach. 

Arriving at the lunch table with his forms, his friends could tell that something had happened, because Donghyuck had a look of disbelief on his face. "Hyuck, what happened?" Renjun asked, frowning.

"Well, do you guys remember my old childhood best friend I mentioned a while ago? Yeah well, I just literally ran into him." Hyuck said, sighing.

"As if!! What are the chances of seeing him here, seriously!?" Jaemin exclaimed.

"I know, I literally had no idea he went here!" Donghyuck replied, frowning slightly.

"Are you guys going to try and be friends again?" Renjun questioned, as Jeno nodded in curiosity.

"Well, I don't know. You all know what happened before I left and I’m not sure if I’m ready to be friends with him again. Or if he deserves it for that matter." Donghyuck said, playing with his fingers distractedly. Everyone at the table could feel that the mood had dropped considerably, and Jaemin quickly stepped in.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens Hyuck!" Jaemin suggested, putting an end to their conversation before redirecting it to a new topic.

***

Later that night, Hyuck couldn't sleep. It was about 11pm, and his mind just wouldn’t stop whirling. Thoughts of his childhood, specifically Mark, kept popping up in his head. Hyuck used to think the world of Mark: he brought so much light into his life, up until that moment. After an incidence that Donghyuck wishes to never go through again, he just couldn’t help but keep to himself. The only people who he had let through his walls were Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun, and he was eternally grateful that he had them as his best friends. Romantically though, Donghyuck had no other feelings towards anyone since Mark. Donghyuck truly had loved Mark so much, even if he was young. After he moved, it had taken him a while to push Mark to the very back of his mind, but ever since he ran into him today it’s like the floodgates of his mind opened and all Donghyuck could think about was Mark.  
  
It was then that he realised, maybe he never truly got over Mark.  
  
A few streets away, Mark also lay awake, as he couldn’t stop thinking about one person. The one with the smooth, honey-coloured skin. The one with the hair that looked like the sun was constantly shining through it. The one with the soft, kind eyes. Mark just couldn’t get Hyuck out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. Seeing Hyuck today had made Mark realise just how much he has missed the younger, and he wished they could go back to how they used to be when they were younger. But alas, things had changed (especially just how pretty Hyuck was now, but Mark would never admit that to anyone). Turning over, Mark fell asleep with thoughts of a pretty boy running through his head, though he tried to convince himself it was purely platonic.  
  
Right. Platonic.

***

On the second day of school, Donghyuck certainly felt a lot more comfortable with finding his way around the school. Well, he did at least, up until trying to find his own way to art class. He was currently stumbling around the halls, looking down from the slip of paper in his hands to the doorways constantly, trying to find the room he was looking for. After stumbling around for a while he finally arrived at what he hoped was his art class. Opening the door, Donghyuck awkwardly walked in and apologised for being late. His teacher assured him that it was alright, and then proceeded to introduce him to the class. Hyuck took this time to observe his class and see who was in it. As his eyes scanned the room, he did a double take when he realised Mark was in this class, and as his eyes fell onto the empty seat beside him, the teacher stated that Donghyuck would be sitting right there. Right next to Mark. Instantly, Hyuck began questioning why he ever thought art would be a good class to take, as if he had never had any interest in it he wouldn’t currently be sitting next to Mark. Internally sighing, Hyuck moved his attention to the front of the class and put his worries behind him for now.   
  
“So, as most of you should be aware, you all have a project due this term that is worth 25% of your grade. This project is more of an independent one. There is no set structure, and it’s ultimately up to you on how you present it.” The teacher began, as some of Donghyuck’s classmates started murmuring. “Now, the project requires you to present a piece about something or someone you love, and you can do so through a drawing, some sort of writing, or anything else you want! Take your time to decide what you’ll make your piece on, you have a month till it’s due!”   
Instantly the class erupted in chatter, with friends discussing what they were going to do. An uncomfortable silence had settled between Mark and Donghyuck, until once again, Mark broke the silence. “Hey Donghyuck.” Mark said as he slightly shifted his body to face Hyuck. The latter would’ve much preferred the silence than this, but he had the decency to reply with a single hello.   
  
“What are you going to do your project on?” Mark questioned, watching Hyuck curiously.  
  
“I’m honestly not sure, I guess I’ll just have to wait for inspiration to arise between now and the due date.” Hyuck replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “You?”  
  
“Same, hopefully inspiration hits us both soon aye!” Mark chuckled, but his laughter slowly faded out when he noticed Donghyuck’s neutral expression. “You know, I did mean it yesterday when I said that we should catch up. I missed you.” Hyuck almost choked when he heard the last three words Mark just said, and he felt a sharp pang go through his chest.   
  
“Y-yeah, we should. It’s been a while hasn’t it?” Donghyuck said softly, and Mark noticed how his eyes seemed to hold some kind of sadness in them as he said these words, making him want to wrap the younger boy up in his arms. But he couldn’t. Because they weren’t friends anymore, and Mark didn’t have any feelings for Hyuck. He couldn’t possibly have feelings for Hyuck, because he is 100% straight.  
  
Shortly after this, the bell rang and they both went different ways, wondering when this awkwardness would cease.

***

"Why do you guys bully me so much?" Jeno sighed, dramatically pretending to wipe a tear away.

"Only because we love you!" Renjun and Jaemin exclaimed at the same time, looking at each other and laughing immediately after. They were currently at lunch, and Donghyuck was watching in amusement as his beloved friends joked around. He couldn't stop thinking about what Mark said about missing him and wanting to catch up. He was conflicted on whether or not he actually  _wanted_ to catch up with Mark again. Looking up, he caught the concerned gaze of Renjun, who immediately gave him a soft smile and started talking. "What's wrong Hyuckie?" Hyuck sighed, before deciding he should just confide in his friends and hopefully they would be able to help with his dilemma.  
  
"I had art class with Mark, my childhood best friend, and he said he missed me and wanted to catch up. I guess I'm just not really sure on whether I actually want to hang out with him, y'know?" He frowned.  
  
"Well why don't you just give it a go Hyuck? You can't regret things you haven't done, and even then, you shouldn't regret the things you do!" Jaemin reasoned. Renjun nodded before adding his own input.  
  
"Exactly!” Renjun agreed. They were right, Donghyuck realized, maybe Mark has changed and it’d be good to catch up with him.

***

Walking to Donghyuck’s last class of the day, his head was filled with questions upon questions. How would he ask Mark to hang out? Did Mark actually _want_ to hang out?

So caught up in his thoughts, Hyuck didn’t realise that one of his schoolbooks had slipped out of his hands and onto the floor. He heard his name being called from behind him, so he quickly spun around to see Mark holding his book and quickly walking up to him. “Hyuck! You dropped this.”

“Oh, thanks! I didn’t even realise.” Donghyuck said sheepishly, smiling slightly.

“No worries!” Mark replied, as an almost uncomfortable silence fell upon them.

“Well I better-“ Mark started, only to be interrupted by Donghyuck.

“Do you want to go to a café with me after school? We can uh, catch up.” Hyuck blurted, cheeks going slightly read.

“I-, yeah that sounds good, meet you out the front after school?”

“Yeah sure, see you then.”

Donghyuck remained frozen on the spot, watching as Mark walked off and wondering just how his brain had managed to blurt that out just then. He was slightly grateful (though he wouldn’t admit it) that he did ask and that Mark accepted, because he truly did want to catch up. Regardless of what Mark did in the past.

***

Standing around outside school waiting for Mark, Donghyuck thought back to what his friends said today; that seeing Mark again could be a good thing. As he was thinking about this he realised something. Before he developed feelings for Mark, they were best friends, and Donghyuck truly wanted to get to that stage again with Mark. Regardless of any leftover feelings Hyuck might still feel, he truly wanted to try again with Mark and decided to use this opportunity well.   
  
A bit after Donghyuck realised this, Mark appeared and greeted him. “Ready to go?” Mark questioned, as Hyuck nodded and smiled. Upon having this revelation and seeing Mark, Donghyuck felt 10x more positive than he did before and was ready to make this work. They both set off towards the nearby café, the two of them hoping to rebuild their friendship.   
  
Both boys arrived at the café fairly quickly after leaving school, Mark leading them to a small booth towards the back of the pretty café. Hyuck sat down and admired the interior of the place; small plants hung about the place, and there was a whole wall filled with mirrors. This place certainly fed the aesthetic part to Hyuck, and he was glad that Mark brought him here. Bringing himself back to Mark, he looked over at said boy who was currently observing the menu, eyes scanning across the many items. Hyuck smiled, happy that he had another chance to be close to Mark again. Mark looked up at this moment, noticing the gorgeous smile Hyuck had on his face, and he’d be lying if he said that it didn’t send butterflies straight to his stomach.  
  
After all these years, Hyuck still affected Mark hugely, and he was terrified.   
  
Instead of dwelling on his current feelings, Mark smiled back at Hyuck and started talking. “What’s got you so smile-y Hyuck?” He questioned, playfully raising his eyebrows.  
  
“Nothing really, I’m just glad that after all this time we get the chance to be friends again.” Hyuck shrugged.  
  
“Me too honestly, I really have missed you Hyuck.” Mark stated, looking deep into his eyes and god, Donghyuck had seriously forgotten how pretty Mark’s eyes were. They reminded him of his childhood, where things were happy and good and he suddenly felt nostalgic for all the old times. This lead Hyuck to thinking about what happened before he left, and next thing he knew he was talking in a much more serious tone.  
  
“I have as well Mark, but you know, we do need to talk about what happened before I left, when you-“ Hyuck began, before Mark abruptly cut him off.  
  
“I know. I know, we really should talk about that but let’s just save that for another time okay?” Donghyuck reluctantly agreed, as a tense silence fell over them.  
  
“Anyways, uh,” Mark cleared his throat. “What did you want to drink?”  
  
“Oh, maybe just a vanilla milkshake I guess.” Mark nodded at this and got up, letting Hyuck know that he’ll go order their drinks for them. As Mark was walkng away, Hyuck’s phone buzzed, which he could only guess were from his lovely friends. Soon enough, Mark arrived back at their table and set their drinks down. “How much was my drink? I want to pay you back.” Hyuck said, reaching for his wallet but all of a sudden Mark’s hand was on his. Donghyuck looked at Mark questioningly, and Mark quickly realised what he had just done. Patches of red quickly rose on his cheeks, “S-sorry” Mark stuttered as he apologised and removed his hand from Hyuck’s. “Just uh, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind paying for it!” He exclaimed, and Donghyuck had to try and refrain from cooing at the way Mark had reacted.   
  
“So anyways, what have you been up to the past few years Donghyuck?” Mark asked, taking a sip from his coffee. Donghyuck started toying with the straw in his milkshake as he thought of how to answer.  
  
“Well, it was hard moving but I just tried to focus more on me, especially since I found it a bit tricky to make friends at my new school.” Hyuck said, as he remembered the way he was treated at his old school. People had constantly picked on him, as Hyuck was always positive and they wanted to try and see if the always-shining boy would crack one day. He never did. Donghyuck always managed to keep his positive façade up, even if sometimes he felt anything but positive. He focused on himself, and learnt how to be happy by himself, then eventually met Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun online. He was ever so grateful for the three of them, they truly helped him get through those hard years. Donghyuck returned his focus to the boy in front of him, who had yet to reply.  
  
“Ah, I’m sorry you found it hard to make friends, but I hope they all know they would’ve been so lucky to be friends with you Hyuck.” Mark smiled, holding eye contact with Donghyuck for several seconds before looking away. “It’s good that you have friends here now though!”  
  
“Yeah, I love my friends and am really grateful for them, they made those years bearable.” Hyuck smiled, and Mark couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being there for Hyuck after he moved. He slowly felt his smile drop off his face, which didn’t go amiss to Donghyuck. He frowned, wondering why Mark was upset all of a sudden.   
  
“What’s wrong Mark?” He questioned, forcing Mark to look up at him, eyes tired and guilt-ridden.  
  
“I’m just really sorry for not being there for you after you moved, and for cutting you off. I just c-couldn’t after what happened and I’m really sorry.”  
  
“It’s okay Mark, I forgive you. Really, I do.” Mark couldn’t help but feel glad after he heard Hyuck say this, and although he was still guilty it took some of the guilt off of his shoulders.  
  
“Thank you.” Hyuck nodded, finishing off his drink. They both decided to leave their hang-out here, but Mark promised he would hang out with him again. Donghyuck felt relieved that they were going to try again, and hoped it would work between them.

***

Renjun had told him the next day in the morning that Mark would be joining them at lunch. Renjun had failed to mention that he was actually sort of friends with Mark, and that he had messaged Mark last night asking if he wanted to hang out with them at lunch today. Mark accepted because his best friend Lucas was leaving at lunch, Renjun relayed.

Before Donghyuck knew it, it was lunchtime and he was currently seated at a table with Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin. Hyuck felt nervous, because even though they saw each other yesterday, he was worried that it might still be awkward.  
  
Or maybe he was nervous because his friends would probably embarrass him.  
  
Nonetheless, Mark was only a few minutes away and Hyuck decided to just start eating now and ignore his nerves. A little while after he started eating, Mark arrived and greeted everyone. He sat down across from Donghyuck, next to Jeno. Renjun started small talk with Mark, whilst Jeno and Jaemin delved into their own conversation (read: flirting) and Hyuck decided to just listen in on Renjun and Mark’s conversation. Renjun noticed and smirked slightly before covering it up with a small smile. “Hey Mark, I heard you took our Hyuck here on a date yesterday!” Renjun smiled, patting Donghyuck lightly on the back as Mark started choking on his food. His face had started to go quite red, but he eventually resolved himself and drank some water before answering Renjun.   
  
“I-it wasn’t a date, just friends hanging out.” He choked out, as Jeno and Jaemin exchanged knowing glances before going back to their ‘conversation’.   
  
“Uh-huh. Sure Mark, and buying the other person’s drink isn’t something that sometimes happens on dates right?” He smirked, not hiding his smirk at all this time. Hyuck watched Mark with amusement on his face, interested at what answer he would choke out this time.  
  
“I just thought it’d be a nice thing to do I guess, and Donghyuck deserves it so.” Mark said, making eye contact with Donghyuck and blushing slightly when he noticed the pretty smile resting on Hyuck’s soft face. Mark didn’t think he would ever be able to get over just how pretty Donghyuck was. Renjun noticed the way Mark blushed under Hyuck’s gaze, and how they were still staring into each other’s eyes, but chose to make no comment on it at this moment in time. Instead, he started a conversation again and the rest of lunch went by smoothly, Renjun never failing to notice the longing gazes both Mark and Hyuck sent each other when they thought no one was looking.  
  
***  
  
For the next few weeks, Hyuck and his friends, and Mark and Lucas hung out at lunchtime. They had all gotten to the point where they were quite comfortable together, and enjoyed spending time as one big group. Jaemin and Jeno were still constantly flirting but Donghyuck and Renjun had a feeling they would actually be a couple soon.   
  
Lucas had told them about a party that his and Mark’s friend Jungwoo was throwing on Friday, and they had all decided to go. It was currently Thursday and Donghyuck planned to get ready tomorrow night with his friends at his house; they would meet Mark and Lucas there. Hyuck was excited for the party, as he hadn’t been to a proper party since he moved here and he had a feeling this one would be quite enjoyable.   
  
The only issue was that he had no idea what to wear, but Jaemin had already reassured him that he would choose something hot for him to wear, which helped Hyuck relax a bit. He most definitely wanted to look his absolute best for this party.   
  
Mark on the other hand, was nervous for another reason. He had recently spoken to Lucas about his _feelings_ towards Donghyuck, and was confused about them. Lucas had mentioned that maybe Mark was gay, or bi/pan, and encouraged him to explore his newfound feelings at the party. Mark was nervous because he didn’t know how to go about his feelings, but he knew that it had to be involving Donghyuck somehow. He decided he would talk to Donghyuck one on one, which would hopefully help.

***  
  
It was the night of the party, and Donghyuck was currently situated outside his room after Jaemin had shoved him out and insisted that his outfit couldn’t be spoiled yet. Jeno had jokingly suggested that Hyuck wear a blindfold and put on the outfit, and then let the others fix it up before he could see it. Unfortunately for Donghyuck, Jaemin made sure they did this. He was currently struggling to get his outfit on properly, but eventually did so. After some shuffling and murmurs from the others, Renjun was taking off his blindfold and ushered him towards the mirror.  
  
Donghyuck was awestruck.   
  
Jaemin had given him a beautiful purple silk shirt to wear loosely tucked into tight-fitting black pants with purple stripes on them, and wow. He knew he looked hot. He was amazed at Jaemin’s skills with picking out the perfect outfit, and took the time to thank him over and over again. Renjun convinced Hyuck that they should do minimal makeup to perfect the look, and Donghyuck happily complied. Less than an hour later, Donghyuck was ready to go and party with his favourite boys.  
  
  
As they walked up to the door of the party, they could feel the ground vibrating slightly due to the obnoxiously loud music coming from within the house. Entering the house, Donghyuck knew this party would be interesting, due to the amount of people filling the rooms they walked through, and the amount of alcohol they could see. All of a sudden, Jeno spotted Mark and Lucas in the corner of a less-crowded room, and so he led the four of them towards the corner. As soon as Mark and Donghyuck made eye contact, they froze. Both felt time slow around them, as they slowly drank in how the other looked. Donghyuck spoke first, the party vibe feeding into his confidence. “Wow, you look incredible Mark.” He said, smiling softly.  
  
“ME? Have you seen yourself Hyuckie?! You look like an actual angel.” Mark said, blushing slightly but maintaining eye contact. He noticed that all of their friends had left, not wanting to third wheel the two. Mark and Donghyuck trailed to a couch, sitting down next to each other and just talking. Mark let Hyuck take the lead of the conversation, and just watched on as he spoke passionately about different things; music, his love for dance, his friends. He could feel himself falling more in love the more Donghyuck spoke with that twinkle in his eye, and maybe he wasn’t so scared anymore.  
  
Eventually it had gotten way too loud in the room that they were in to hear each other anymore, so Donghyuck suggested they go somewhere more private. Mark agreed, standing up and grabbing Hyuck’s hand. He pulled him towards Jungwoo’s room, letting go of Donghyuck’s hand and closing the door. Hyuck immediately went to Jungwoo’s photo wall, observing all the absolutely adorable photos of Mark mucking around, and felt his heart squeeze. As Donghyuck looked at Jungwoo’s photo wall, Mark sat down on the bed and instantly felt nerves erupt in his stomach. He was in a room. With Donghyuck. Just the two of them. Mark’s heart was racing so fast and he hoped with all his being that Donghyuck couldn’t hear it.  
  
Distracted by his racing heart, Mark hadn’t realised that Hyuck had sat down on the bed next to him. Facing Mark, Donghyuck thought he’d encourage Mark to talk now. “So, dated anyone since I left?” He asked teasingly, winking at Mark. Little did he know how much this action affected Mark.  
  
“Uh, nope. Wasn’t really interested in anyone.” Mark replied, shrugging.  
  
“Really? No one?” Hyuck was surprised to say the least.  
  
“Yeah, I think there was a reason though.”  
  
“That reason being?”  
  
“My heart has always belonged to you.”  
  
At Mark’s words, Donghyuck immediately noticed how close they were, and how warm the room seemed to be now.  
  
“Y-you what?” He stuttered, struggling to make eye contact with Mark. He felt his face being tilted up by the aforementioned to meet his eyes, and watched as Mark’s eyes flickered down to his lips several times before settling on Donghyuck’s eyes again.  
  
“It’s always been you.” Were the last words Mark said before pressing his lips onto Donghyuck’s, whilst pulling him in even closer.  
  
Donghyuck kissed Mark back, before realising what he was doing. He shoved him back and abruptly stood up, tears rushing to his eyes. “No. No! You cannot do this again to me Mark.” Hyuck shouted, as a tear dripped down his face.  
  
“Hyuck I-“ Mark started, before Donghyuck angrily cut him off.  
  
“No! Don’t you dare do that. Last time you kissed me you shoved me away, so why would you do it again?” Hyuck said as he thought back to before he left.  
  
_Flashback_  
  
“Mark.. I’m leaving tomorrow for good. I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you, it just hurt too much. I couldn’t do it.” Hyuck said, tears falling from his beautiful eyes.  
  
“W-what?” Mark said, confused.  
  
“I’m leaving. We’re moving Mark.”  
  
“No! You can’t leave, I need my best friend here.” Mark said as his own eyes started swimming with tears.  
  
“I’m sorry.” Hyuck said, pouting. Mark just couldn’t resist, he couldn’t lose his only chance of ever doing this.  
  
So he kissed Hyuck.  
  
Almost instantly he pushed Hyuck away, what he just did crashing onto him. “No, I’m straight. I.. I c-can’t.” Were the last things Donghyuck heard Mark say before he ran away, standing right where he left him as the cracks in his heart became deeper, his tears running faster.  
  
End of flashback.  
  
“I’m sorry Hyuck, I’m sorry for what I did to you then but please, please listen to me when I say that I’ve changed.” Mark begged.  
  
“How do I know that Mark? I thought you weren’t straight remember?” Donghyuck said, finally looking at Mark. This was Mark’s time to confess, and maybe then they could fix everything.  
  
But Mark stayed silent.  
  
He didn’t utter a single word as Donghyuck sighed.  
  
“Alright. Don’t talk to me again Mark. Please, it hurts too much.” Hyuck said as he walked out of the room, tears still streaming down his face. Mark felt exactly what Hyuck had felt on that day many years ago, but this time he was being walked away from. He could feel his heart being absolutely destroyed in his chest, but he didn’t move.

***  
  
Donghyuck hadn’t shown up to school since last Friday, the day of the party, and it was now Thursday. His friends were obviously worried, and tried to check up on him as much as they could, yet Donghyuck remained in a state of despair. He was still trying hard to pick up the pieces of his heart that Mark broke once again, which he decided the most effective way to do so was to stay at home and binge-watch his favourite TV shows.   
  
That is, until his friends ambushed him in the early morning of Thursday, telling him to get up and get ready, and that he HAD to go to school today. He had no idea at all why he had to go to school today of all days, and admittedly, Hyuck was kind of annoyed that they wouldn’t let him recover for longer. Regardless, he knew he had to go to school eventually and next thing he knew he was walking into school.  
  
Luckily, art class with Mark was last, so he had all day to prepare his heart to see Mark. He realised that he would probably have to hand in his project today, about someone or something he loves, and he was glad that he decided to get this project done early.  
  
Unfortunately, it was now time for Donghyuck to go to his art class, and he was extremely nervous. His heart was beating so fast, and his hands just wouldn’t cease their shaking. He tried to compose himself as he walked into the room and immediately made eye contact. He froze. Mark was just staring at him, with those damn pretty eyes of his, with his mouth slightly ajar as if he wanted to say something. Fortunately, Donghyuck’s brain cells started working again and he quickly broke eye contact and took the seat closest to the door, which just so happened to be on the opposite side of the room to Mark. Donghyuck could feel Mark’s gaze on him and he was starting to grow extremely self-conscious. Luckily his teacher saved him from his gaze, as they had begun the lesson and dragged Mark’s focus away from Hyuck.  
  
“So, as I’m sure you’re all aware, your projects are due today.” The teacher began, as several murmurs sounded around the room. “I hope all your projects are done, and that you’re ready to hand them in because I will not be accepting any late ones. We will now start the new topic, and I will collect your projects at the end of class.”  
  
It was finally almost the end of class, with 15 minutes remaining, and Hyuck was anticipating the bell to go so that he could finally leave. All of a sudden, the teacher was getting the class’s attention again. “Now, before I collect up your projects, I’ve had a special request for someone to actually present their project to the front, which he will do so now.” As his teacher said this, he heard the harsh sound of a chair scraping across the ground, and turned around to see Mark walking up to the front of the class.  
  
Instantly, his body went rigid. He was trying to come up with reasons why Mark would honestly want to present his project, but he drew a blank. Donghyuck watched as Mark made himself comfortable up the front, gripping the single piece of paper he held. Mark made brief eye contact with Hyuck, before opening his mouth and talking.  
  
“I decided to do my project on someone I love, though I think I may have lost them. A few years ago, I had the most amazing childhood best friend, but then they moved. Throughout my entire life, they were the only person who truly understood me, and I will be eternally grateful for that. Before they left, I um, I kissed them. I knew, at that time at least, that I would never get the opportunity again. So I took it. Because truthfully, along the way of us being best friends, I had developed feelings for them. I was afraid of my feelings though, because they were feelings that some might say were unusual, and I was young. Once I realised I had kissed them, I ran off and never gave them the proper goodbye they deserved.” Mark paused at this, quickly glancing at Hyuck who looked completely shocked.  
  
“But then they came back,” he continued, “and once again I was afraid. The feelings I had for them, I thought had disappeared, but as soon as I ran into them – literally – they were back again. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I wanted to be in their life still, even if it was only as a friend. We got closer again, and eventually ended up at a party together. I’d confided in a friend earlier that day about my worries, and they encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. So I did. I spoke to my childhood best friend in a room with just us two, even though I felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I got caught up in the moment though, and I kissed them. Obviously, I know I probably shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t help myself when they just looked so beautiful sitting there. They got annoyed at me after, and rightfully so, but I couldn’t find the words to explain to them why I did that, so they left. I’m worried that I’ve lost them forever, but I’m here now to explain.” He paused, and took a big breath in.  
  
“What I realised at that moment, was that I’m gay, and that I am completely and utterly in love with my childhood best friend. Thank you for listening.” There was silence once Mark finished, but then hesitant clapping started and then turned into cheering.   
  
But this was all too much for Donghyuck.   
  
He jumped up and ran out of class, and after Mark made eye contact with his teacher, he followed after him.  
  
“Donghyuck! Wait!” He shouted, trying hard to catch up. Hyuck’s shoulders started to slightly shake as he ran, as all his emotions were now flowing out in the form of tears.  
  
“Donghyuck please.” Mark begged, slowing down as Hyuck came to an abrupt stop. He turned around and stormed up to Mark.  
  
“Did you mean it?”  
  
“I-“  
  
“No. Did you mean it!?”  
  
“Yes. I meant every word.” Mark said, noticing how close they had gotten, and the tears adorning his face. “Donghyuck, I am in love with you. I always have been, I’m sorry it took me so long to realise.”  
  
“Y-you… are in love with me?”  
  
“Yes Donghyuck, how could I not be?” Mark said exasperatedly. “You’re so beautiful, smart, kind funny and-“  
  
Donghyuck abruptly cut him off with a soft kiss pressed to his lips. He slung his arms around Mark’s neck whilst Mark’s came to rest on Hyuck’s waist, and they stood there, both feeling tremendously happy. Donghyuck pulled away after a while, quickly wiping away his own tears.  
  
“I’m in love with you too, you idiot. I always have been.” Hyuck said, which lead them to laugh lightly together before kissing again. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope u enjoyed and thanks for reading! please leave any constructive criticism you have :)


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